County, MHDS region hire additional children’s navigator

   With the Jones County Supervisors’ approval, the MHDS region now has an additional children’s navigator.

   During the May 30 board meeting, per Community Services Director Lucia Herman, the board approved the hiring of Nielie Schaeffer, effective June 14, at $26 an hour.

   “The region has been working on hiring a second children’s navigator,” Herman told the board. “She’ll work for all nine counties (members of the region), but localized to Iowa, Johnson, and Linn counties.”

   Herman would serve as Schaeffer’s director, which is why she would be based out of the Jones County Community Services office. Herman also oversees the other children’s navigator.

   “This position is 100 percent reimbursed by the region,” Herman noted of the salary.

   Supervisor John Schlarmann inquired as to what a children’s navigator does. Herman offered that they essentially serve as a social worker for mental health and brain health issues, specializing in children’s needs.

   “We’ve seen such an increase specifically in schools,” continued Herman of the need. “We go to all of the schools in all nine counties and help with resources, referrals, and crisis intervention. We help educate the family, the child, and the teachers about where to go for services.”

   Herman said with so many schools spread throughout the region’s nine counties, an additional children’s navigator was needed.

   “They’re on the road a lot,” Herman said of the travel involved.

In other county business:

   • County Engineer Derek Snead provided a general maintenance update.

   The contract rock haulers have been out adding more rock to the gravel roads.

   When the wind allows, Secondary Roads has been out spraying roadside brush throughout the county, as well as clearing out the ditches.

   “We’ll start mowing the shoulders this week,” Snead offered.

   The replacement of the County Road D-62/X-31 intersection began Tuesday morning, May 30. The intersection will be closed to traffic. Snead said the warm temperatures should help strengthen the newly-poured concrete sooner rather than later.

   • Schlarmann offered an update from the May 25 Board of Health meeting. Mallory Holub, Public Health assistant, has resigned from her role with the county. The opening for the position will soon be advertised.

   • The board held a closed session per Iowa Code Section 21.5 “to evaluate certain personnel matters when necessary to prevent needless and irreputable injury to that individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed session.”